Thanking our veterans

It was, without a doubt, one of the more memorable Memorial Day observances in Hillsboro.

For a few healthy souls, the parade route march along High Street from the courthouse to the cemetery and back was somewhat missed. But not on this 90-degree Memorial Day.

Shortly after Brandy Chandler posted the first published story on the 2012 Hillsboro Memorial Day observance, I sent a very brief note to Highland County Commissioner Tom Horst. "Great Memorial Day Service" was the essence of the email correspondence.

Tom has been keeping The Highland County Press informed of the Veterans Memorial project since its inception – with his vision three years ago.

Today, Tom told those in attendance at the Veterans Memorial dedication, "It makes me proud to live in a community where people come forward – without being asked – and say, 'What can I do?'"

Indeed, it does.

It should also make us proud to live in a community where so many people show up for a Memorial Day service. Veterans from all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces were there. So were their families. And friends.

Mike and Connie Gullett were there.

Retired Master Sgt. (U.S. Army National Guard) Timothy Espich, who is the interim director of the Ohio Department of Veterans Services, mentioned their son, Zachary, who died in Iraq five years ago.

"It's impossible to understand the sacrifices of the many who have served, when it's impossible to understand the sacrifices of one individual who has served," Director Espich said.

"The loss of a husband, a wife, a son, a daughter, a brother, a sister. How do you measure that?" he asked, before referencing Private First Class Zachary Gullett. PFC Gullett, of Hillsboro, died May 1, 2007 while stationed in Ad Diwaniyah, Iraq while serving with C Company 787 Military Police Battalion.

Director Espich called the Veterans Memorial "a beautiful reminder of the sacrifices our soldiers have made for this nation. Every day should be Memorial Day."

Yes, it should.

Jack Preston was there. Jack is a World War II veteran. He knows more about Dec. 7, 1941 and Pearl Harbor than most of us want to know. He's been there. In uniform. His was not a pleasant assignment. His wife, Alberta, was at the Memorial Day service. She asked about my family. Jack and Alberta were our neighbors in Fairfax back in the 1960s and '70s. Even today, we're no more than six or seven miles apart as the crow flies.

Chuck Emery was there. And I owe him an apology. I forgot to thank Chuck for his service. When Chuck and I see one another, we often begin our conversation with some good-natured teasing. It's what we do. We are, after all, fellow Ridgerunners.

Chuck's a Vietnam War veteran. His wartime photograph recently surfaced in a magazine story about the war. How the photo got to the magazine's publisher remains a mystery.

By the way, thank you, Chuck, for your service to this nation and to our community.

To the best of my knowledge, I've never met Major Mac McCray. But as I said to Lynn Neal today, "I like that guy."

He tells it like it is. Thank you, Major McCray, for your service.

One of my dad's good friends, George Stewart, was there. After his military service, George has served the VFW Post 9094 as commander for many years. I will always have very fond memories of Saturday nights at the old VFW Post in the late 1970s with George and Ruth and some great country music on the oldest jukebox in Hillsboro. For a quarter, we could play five songs. (After "Sweet Memories," play "Born to Lose Again," and we did.)

Thank you, George. You are – and will always be – one of my heroes.

It would not be a Memorial Day service without Alberta Duncan. She led those in attendance in the singing of "God Bless America."

Later in the service, she also stopped by to ask me if I needed a bottle of water. I politely declined. As my family members and close friends (or former sports teammates) can attest, I do not "perspire" on warm days. I sweat. Profusely. After the third person asked if I needed water, shade or a 911 call (heaven forbid!), I simply said: "You should have seen me playing basketball for 90 minutes at the city park on Sunday afternoon."

But I do appreciate Alberta's concern.

More importantly, I appreciate what all veterans have done – and continue to do – for this great nation. Thank you.

Those two words aren't near enough, I know. But thank you. May your service always be remembered. And may God Bless You for that service.

Rory Ryan is publisher and editor of Highland County's only locally owned newspaper.